Improvement in steam or water gates



s. vAN HORN.

l Steam or water Gates.

No.l47532. Patentedfebmmam.'

whillMWliwnQ iJNrTED STATES PATENT GEEIGE.

SUMNERVAN HORN, OF CI-IICOIEE, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM OR WATER GATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 147,532, dated February 17, 1874; application filed April 21, 1873.

To all whom it may. concern:

Be it known that I, SUMNER VAN HORN, of Ghieopee, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Steam or later Gates; and I do hereby declare that the following' is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters ot' reference marked thereon, in which- Figure l is a side view ot' my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through line L of Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a reverse plan view of the plug and cap, showing the removable eut-offs as in position in the plug.

My invention relates to an improved gate for controlling the flow of water or steam through pipes 5 and it consists of a cylindrical or other convenient-shaped shell, in which is itted an oblong plug having removable pieces or plates fitted in each side thereof, the exterior face of which pieces are titted against the interior of the shell, said pieces or plates being forced out against the interior of the shell by springs, and by the steam or water admitted to the shell. A stra-ight hole is made entirely through the plug, which, when the plug is turned into the proper position, furnishes a straight and uninterrupted water or steam way through the gate; but when the plug is turned into a position with the hole therein extending at right angles to the connecting-pipe, the removable cut-off on each side the plug covers the aperture in the shell leading to the pipe at each side the plug, and the steam or water in the shell operates to force the cutvoft's 011 one side firmly against the interior of the shell, and stopping the aperture leading to the outletpipe. The plug is t-urned in the shell by a spindle, which extends up through the cover ot' the shell, and havinga handle on the end, and the spindle is provided with an ordinary packing-nut.

That others skilled in the art may be able to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the drawings, A represents the cylindrical shell, having orifices through the side, one opa posite the other, communicating with the short pipes I, and into the top of the shell is screwed placed a curved plate, Z, which I denominate a removable cut-ott', convex on its outer face, and

ofthe same forni as the ends n of the plug, so

as to tit well the interior cylindrical surface of the shell. These plates extend entirely across the recesses h from one shoulder, f, to the other, and are held `in their proper vertical position by the said shoulders f, and a projection, o, maybe made upon the inside of each plate, whichis inserted into a hole in the bent spring c, the ends of which impinge against the sides of the plug, and operating to keep the plate pressed outward against the interior of the shell. A hole, F, is made entirely through the plug in a longitudinal direction, and a recess, d', may be made in the bottom of the shell, with a projection or pivot, d, on the bottom of the plug lto keepV it tirm when being operated. The plug II is provided with a spindle, E, extending up through the shank D, with ahand-pieee 011 top, by which to turn it, and an ordinary packing-nut, C, is screwed upon the shank lD and around the spindle E to prevent leakage. The gate may be connected to the pipes by bolting through the flanges B, or by screw-couplings, in the ordinary manner.

The operation of my invention is as follows: It the gate be connected to a steam or water pipe, and the plug H be turned by the handpiece N, so that the hole F through the plug is in a line with the pipes I, there will then bean unobstructed water or steam passage for the ilow of the water or steam through the gate; but if the plug be turned one-fourth of a revolution, or so that the length of the plug H and the hole F therein is at right angles to the line of the pipe leading in through the orifice I, then the plates or cut-offs b will close the orifices through which the water or steam makes its ingress and egress to and from the interior of the shell, and the springs e will force one ot' the said plates iirmly against the interior of the shell, causing the said outlet-orifice to be stopped with a close joint, and with no leakage.

I prefer to make the shell cylindrical, as above described but the same may be made of any desirable form, and with the plug` and plates made to correspond to the form of the shell.

For many uses, a gate having` only one removable plate or cutoff, b, would answer the same purpose without departing from the principle of operation, as either theingress or egress orifice tightly stopped by the'cut-off b might be quite sufficient, for many purposes, to make a tight gate, and, whether one is used or two, the Water or steam admitted to the shell through the inlet-orifice has free access into the recess h and behind the plates b, and operates to press said plate outward and against the interior of the shell to make a tight joint at the outlet-orifice.

The plug H is not fitted so tightly to the cylindrical cavity but that the water may pass around the plug, and above it, through the re cess hf, into the spacesh between the plug and the plates b, and, the inner surface of the latter being concave, a large surface is exposed to the water-pressure, to more firmly hold the convex surface of the plates against the interior of the shell.

It will be seen that the plate or plates b will constantly wear more perfectly to the interior surface of the shell, and the longer they are used the more perfectly will they fit the shell.

The movable plates b may be fitted to the plug and into the shell sufficiently tight to re qure no springs, as the steam or water in the shell operates to keep the plates, or the one at the outlet-orifice, pressed against the interior of the shell when in operation, but I prefer to use the springs, as they prevent any rattling' of the plates which might occur. l

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of the plug H, provided with the water-way F and shoulders f, with the concave plates b and cylindrical shell A, all constructed and arranged substantially as described.

lVitnesscs: SUMNERAN HORN.

T. A. Gnmrs, C. EUGENE BUCKLAND. 

